To Roast a Pig
A historical recipe from The Virginia Housewife, by Mary Randolph (1860).
A historical recipe
The Virginia Housewife; Or, Methodical Cook, by Mary Randolph (1860). Project Gutenberg eBook #12519.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.
United States
Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
Ingredients 1 ingredient
Cook safely
Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.
- Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.
- Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.
Method
Chef Wood
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- The pig must be very fat, nicely cleaned, and not too large to lie in the dish;
- chop the liver fine and mix it with crumbs of bread, chopped onion and parsley, with pepper and salt, make it into a paste with butter and an egg, stuff the body well with it, and sew it up, spit it, and have a clear fire to roast it;
- baste with salt and water at first, then rub it frequently with a lump of lard wrapped in a piece of clean linen;
- this will make it much more crisp than basting it from the dripping pan.
- When the pig is done, take off the head, separate the face from the chop, cut both in two and take off the ears, take out the stuffing, split the pig in two parts lengthways, lay it in the dish with the head, ears, and feet, which have been cut off, placed on each side, put the stuffing in a bowl with a glass of wine, and as much dripping as will make it sufficiently liquid, put some of it under the pig, and serve the rest in a boat.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
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Mixing bowl
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Chef's knife
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Cutting board
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Pastry brush